Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic shift lever for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a unified electronic shift lever which implements a convenient manipulation and reduces production costs because the electronic shift lever including a first selection unit, a second selection unit, and a display unit simultaneously performs various functions in a vehicle as well as a gear shift function.
Description of Related Art
In general, a transmission is an apparatus that transmits power generated by an engine to drive wheels while changing rotational force and speed depending on a driving state of a vehicle, and is classified into a manual transmission and an automatic transmission.
A driver who drives the vehicle may manipulate a shift lever, which is mounted on a console surface at the periphery of a driver seat or mounted on a steering handle, so as to change a gear shift stage of the manual transmission or the automatic transmission to a desired gear shift stage.
The manual transmission is operated in a manner in which when the driver selects a gear, which is suitable for a driving state of the vehicle, using the shift lever, a movement desired by the driver is transmitted to the manual transmission through a cable or a rod. The automatic transmission is operated in a manner in which the driver drives an inhibitor switch through a cable by moving the shift lever so as to transmit a movement desired by the driver to the automatic transmission.
Particularly, recently, usage of an electronic shift lever, which substitutes a mechanical connection structure between the transmission and the shift lever with an electrical connection structure having an actuator and an ECU instead of a mechanical shift lever, is increased.
The electronic shift lever requires no mechanical cable connection structure unlike the mechanical shift lever, and needs to have a position sensor unit that converts the driver's intention of shifting gears into an electronic signal, but there are advantages in that the driver may efficiently and conveniently manipulate the shift lever.
As the type of electronic shift lever, there is a lever type electronic shift lever which is operated in a manner in which an electronic shift lever protruding from a console surface of the vehicle is manipulated forward and rearward, a dial type electronic shift lever in which a cylindrical electronic shift lever mounted on the console surface of the vehicle is manipulated by being rotated clockwise and counter-clockwise, a column type electronic shift lever in which an electronic shift lever mounted at a side of the steering handle of the vehicle is manipulated upward and downward, and a button type electronic shift lever in which a button on which gear shift stages of the vehicle are indicated is manipulated by being pressed.
A plurality of buttons, which may perform various functions such as an audio system, a heater, and an electric parking brake (EPB), are disposed on a dashboard of the vehicle so as to assist the convenience in driving the vehicle.
However, the electronic shift lever and the plurality of buttons occupy a large layout in the vehicle, and are disposed to be spaced apart from each other over a large area, and as a result, there is a problem in that it is very difficult for the driver to manipulate the electronic shift lever and the plurality of buttons at one time.
The plurality of buttons is complicatedly spaced out, and as a result, there are problems in that it is difficult for the driver to identify the options performed by the respective buttons at one time, and the interior of the vehicle becomes complicated.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.